Box Knot Variation Basket – Cross Weaving

This tutorial shows how you can weave this basket that is woven with box knot variation knot. Running wire is not used for this basket so the knots are made by cross weaving.

Prerequisites

To make this basket, you have to know how box knot and its variation are woven. Please find links to detailed tutorials for both the knots below. Read them before scrolling down if you are not familiar with the knots.

Both these knots look the same but they are made differently. The method I have shown for the box knot variation is the easiest method. In that page, I have also posted a photo with side by side comparison of steps involved in making both those knots. So do check that page first as it is possible that you are following a more difficult method for this knot.

Since I have already posted detailed tutorials for those two knots in this site, to prevent this page from becoming too long, those steps will not be repeated in this page.

Other baskets made with this knot:

This website also has a basket with the same knot made with running wire. Here is the link for that. If you are new, you might find that basket to be easier than this one so do check that out as well.

I have also added a tutorial for a sling bag with this knot. Here is the link for that. If you are new to box knot variation knot and would like to try a smaller project first, try the sling bag first.

Things needed

Black : 28 pieces – 3.50 meters (350 cms)

Orange : 34 pieces – 3.50 meters (350 cms)

No running wire.

This basket is a fairly big basket with a broad base. If you want a different size,

Taller basket – take longer wire pieces

Wider basket – Take more number of pieces. Since we are cross weaving the basket without running wire, the wire pieces should also be longer.

Method for weaving box knot variation basket

In this basket, if one row is made with box knots, the next row is made with box knot variation knots.

Weaving base of basket

Box knot rows: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Box knot variation rows: 2, 4, 6,8,10

ROW 1: Start by making box knots with all the cut wire pieces.

We cut 28 pieces of black wire so we will have 14 black knots.

We cut 34 pieces of orange wire so we will have 17 orange knots.

Even though we have not joined all the knots together, this will be counted as the first row of the base. This will also be the middle row of the basket’s base. All future rows will be added above and below this row.

ROW 2: Like I mentioned above, the next row will be made with box knot variation knots. I hope you have visited the page for its tutorial and learnt how you can make that knot.

Join all the knots that you made above using box knot variation knots.

Here is a quick look at the steps involved – To join two knots, place them next to each other and you will have two wires crossing each other above and two wires crossing each other below. Make a box knot variation knot above and make another variation knot below. You will have a diamond shape now as seen in the 7th picture in the collage that I have added below.

Continue adding more knots to this diamond and the length of the base will grow.

You can plan your basket’s design at this stage and decide which color should be in the middle and which color should be on the sides etc. You can arrange the knots in any pattern that you like and join them. I decided to place all the orange knots in the middle and added the black knots to both the ends.

As you can see below, the holes formed between knots in this basket will be elongated diamonds.

Row 3: Row 1 was made with box knot and row 2 was made with variation knots. So row 3 will be made with box knots. Where ever you find two wires from neighboring knots cross each other, make a knot with them.

Completed one row above and one row below

Here is the closeup.

Row 4: Next row will be made with box knot variation knots. 2 knots have been added in the the next row.

Continue with this pattern and you will see the base growing wider.

Row 5 will be made with box knots.

With the wire length that I have mentioned above, you will be able to weave basket that has base with 19 rows (9 rows above + middle row + 9 rows below).

Since the middle row is common to both sides, here is how we will count the rows in the base.

The base of the basket is now complete. We will now turn the 4 corners of the basket. This will help us weave the walls of the basket.

Turning 4 corners of the basket

The base will have a hexagon shape with wires traveling in 6 different directions as shown below.

Turning the corner is slightly difficult than other baskets because we have to make sure we get the diamond shaped holes properly. To get perfect diamond shaped holes, before turning the 4 corners, we have to first identify 4 wires that will not be used in the walls of the basket.

In the last row of the base, find the first and last knot and make a knot as show below so you can identify it.

Note: We have to make a knot with the wire that travels left/ towards the triangle shaped tip.

In the picture above, you can see that I have identified and made a knot with 2 wires on one end of the base. Repeat the same for the other end of the base as well.

Now we are ready to turn the corner of the base.

First corner

We completed the base with 10 rows and the 10th row was made with box knot variation knot. So make one knot in the 11th row and it will be a regular box knot/ basic knot. I have circled the knot in the picture below.

As you can see, the orange wire has begun to travel towards the tip of the triangle.

Use that as a running wire and start making knots with the wires on the sides of the base. As mentioned above, we will skip one wire. We started the corned with box knot so next knot will be box knot variation knot.

I have made the knot loose to take photo so you can clearly see the wire that was skipped. The corner knots have to be made as tight as possible.

Continue weaving up the slope of the black triangle. If you make one box knot, the next will be box knot variation knot.

Orange wire is traveling up the slope.

Orange wire has traveled till the tip of the triangle.

In every step, make sure the diamond shaped holes are forming properly.

Second corner: We repeat the same procedure for the second corner as well. Make one box knot and then the orange wire will travel up the slope of the triangle.

Knot has been made and orange wire is in position to travel up. Don’t forget to ignore that one wire with a knot.

Both orange wires will meet at the tip.

Third and fourth corners: We do the exact same thing at the other end of the base as well. Make a knot on the side of the base and then one wire travels up the slope.

All 4 corners have been turned.

Now the base will fold like this and become a rectangle. So this will be the width of the basket.

Remember the 4 wires that we ignored? Leaving 5 inches, cut them. Then tuck them into the back side of knots.

The base curled up after turning corners. This means that the ends of the basket has grown taller than the other sides.

Weaving walls of the basket

The difficult part is done and we are ready to weave the walls of the basket. All you have to do is simply repeat this procedure by traveling up the slope.

Make a knot on the side of the base and then the orange wire will travel up the slope.

This is just a repetition of the previous row. Remember to alternate between box knot and box knot variation knot.

After 4 rows.

Since new rows are traveling up a slope, the basket will grow in an uneven fashion.

The base will look like this.

Basket is growing.

Basket is done. Tuck in the excess wire and while doing that, pull it tight so that the last row folds and gets pulled inward.